Monthly Archives: January 2023

Tuesday morning, there’s a new Green-tailed Towhee in residential Lincoln Park; and a new Black-and-white Warbler and a new, returning adult male Summer Tanager at Greenwood Cemetery–both down near/at the west end along the border with Mount Hope Cemetery. A returning Hermit Warbler continues in Serra Mesa. The City Heights/Talmadge Eastern Phoebe continues.

Happy to see that Nathan French went out this morning and got good photos of the Yellow-billed Loon!

–Paul Lehman, San Diego

Our paparazzi star Yellow-billed Loon has had its share of misidentified photos submitted since it was first discovered over a month ago. The culprit, of course, is misidentified Common Loons, often showing palish bills due to lighting. It seems that during the past week or so that such issues have increased and that there have been almost entirely photos submitted of either misidentified Common Loons or very distant shots of blurry loons that could be Commons rather than the Yellow-billed, but uncertain. There have also been a number of reports with written details that seem somewhat marginal. This may end up being a case, as happens with some other long-staying rarities, that the reports keep coming even after the bird actually departs! I am NOT saying that the loon has departed, just that the situation is already getting a bit muddy, and may get muddier. PLEASE, if  you go see this bird, carefully document its continued presence, either with a clear description or preferably with clear photos. And be aware of the Common Loon ID pitfalls.

–Paul Lehman, San Diego